Folding table



p 1935' c. W. SADENWATER 2,015,237

FOLDI NG TABLE Filed Dec. 8, 1934 j W- 4 INVENTOR CHARLES M SADENWATER ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 24, 1935 UNITED STATES PAreNT OFFlC E FOLDING TABLE 2 Charles W. Sadenwater, Saginaw, Mich, assignor to Saginaw Manufacturing 00., Saginaw, Mich, a corporation of Michigan Application December 8, 1934, Serial No. 756,634

4 Claims.

My invention relates to folding ironing tables of the type in which an ironing board is provided with collapsible legs which may be folded I up parallel with the board so that the table may be conveniently and compactly stored.

In a copending application, filed of even date herewith, I have described a novel folding ironing table of this character which is particularly rigid,

I stable, and efficient, and in certain respects is similar to that hereinafter described. In that application I have claimed features of construction believed to be patentably novel, and common to both applications.

an My present improvement relates more particu- I5 larly to a different construction and arrangement of the front leg of the table and the means for locking the leg structure in extended position, the essential elements of which are more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

20 In the accompanying drawing Fig. 1 is a side view of the table with its legs extended to working position.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of the middle joint shown in Fig. l, as it would appear when viewed 25; from above with the table top removed.

Fig. 3 is a side view of the parts shown in Fig. 2, one of the bearing blocks and the rearward diagonal brace members being removed for clearer illustration, the locking position of the front leg 30 being indicated by dotted lines.

Fig. 4 is a side view similar to Fig. 3, showing I the rearward brace member in position to be releasably attached to the table top and there fastened by means of the front leg, which is shown 35 in retracted position.

Fig. 5 is a detail View of a safety latch applied to the front leg.

The same. reference characters indicate the same parts in all the figures of the drawing.

40 In general, the arrangement of the main parts of the table is like that shown in the copending application referred to above, namely, a top I has two bearing members or keepers 2, 2 secured to its under side and spaced apart sufficiently to receive the front leg 3 of the supporting structure between them. A transverse pintle 4 can be inserted in the bearing members 2', 2 and removed therefrom through alined slots 5, 5 in the members 2. The pintle may be of any desired cross- 50 sectional shape. 7

The walls of slots 5 are made to fit the pintle 4 rather closely, although they permit it to be easily inserted and withdrawn from the slots by moving the pintle upwardly or downwardly, as is apparent 55 from inspection of Figs. land 4.

In my copending application I have shown and described the pintle 4 as being secured to the bearing members 2, 2 by snap action or frictionally, and have also, described means for frictionally securing the front leg 8 to the pintle. In the pres- 5 ent case there will be disclosed and claimed a novel means which I have invented for keeping the upper end of the front leg 3 permanently secured to the board I, although it is capable of a small amount of back-and-forth sliding move- 10 ment on the board while the leg is in its upstanding position. That sliding movement of the leg is employed to provide a positive locking means by which the pintle 4 can be releasably secured to the bearing blocks 2, 2, and this structure is thereby distinguished from the frictional or snap-action arrangement of the companion application.

The rear legs 5 are hinged to the top I and diagonal brace members I, l are pivoted tothe rear legs 6 at intermediate points 8 thereon. The free ends of the brace members 1', l are convergent and the pintle 4 is secured transversely to the convergent ends. The front leg 3 is disposed centrally of the table top, and as above noted, is secured by fastening means that allow it a limited forward and rearward sliding movement along the top, as is shown in Fig. 3. This fastening means for holding the leg 3 to the blocks 2, 2 is shown in detail in Figs. 2, 3, and 4, where numeral 9 designates a short pin passing transversely through leg 3 and fixed thereto, its projecting ends being slidingly received in elongated pockets or recesses ill of the blocks 2. A pair of tie members I I, are pivotally connected at l2 with the front leg 3, their rear ends being pivoted respectively to the rear legs 3 at 8, as is usual in tables of this kind.

To set up the table the back legs 6 are first positioned as in Fig. 1. Pintle 4 is then pushed sidewise, that is to say, upward in Figs. 1, 3, and. 4, into the alined slots 5, 5. The braces l, l are thereby secured to the bearing members 2, 2. Leg 3, which is formed with a lateral slot I3, is then slid rearwardly, that is, to the right in Fig.

3, and slot l3 embraces pintle 4 and so locks together all of the associated parts.

Pulling the leg 3 in the reverse direction, that is to say, to the left, Figs. 1 and 3, releases the pintle 4, which can then be pulled out of the slots 5, thus releasing the front ends of the diagonal brace members i, l, and the foldable parts 3, ll, 1, 6 can then be stowed against the board in the usual way.

It will be noted that when the parts are in their locked position pin 9 and recesses I I] serve to lock the leg 3 to the bearing members 2, and leg 3, in turn, locks the rear braces l, I to the bearing blocks or members 2.

In Fig. 5 is shown a safety latch I4 slidably mounted on the end of leg 3 so as to cover the entrance to slot l3, or uncover it. When the latch covers the slot, pintle 4 is locked in. The latch I4 slides freely by gravity, being kept in place by the slotted ear lugs I5 that are slidingly held by pin 9. When the leg 3 is in the position shown in Fig. 1, the latch i4 covers slot I3, and when the table is stood up on end or laid upside down the latch uncovers the slot.

Another convenient way of setting up the board is to stand the top I upright on the floor resting on its rearward end, unfold the rear legs 6 and front leg 3 and then slide the pintle 4 downward along the rear face of leg 3 until it comes to the slots 5, 5. It is then pushed down intothe slots. Thereupon the weight of leg 3 and tie member II will cause the end of leg 3 to slip rearwardly so as to engage the pintle i in the slot IS.

The short pin 9 may be fixed to the bearing members 2, 2 instead of to leg 3, as has been shown in Figs. 2, 3, 4, and the pin 9 may be received in a slot, like re, formed in leg 3 instead of in members 2, 2. Such a reversal of structure is obvious and optional, therefore, it is not illustrated in the drawing.

The table as herein described can be easily and cheaply made and by some users is preferred because of the semi-automatic locking feature of leg 3 above described, and also because the parts 2, 3, and i when thus fastened to pintle 4 are locked together positively instead of being secured together solely by frictional interengagement.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a folding table having a top, rear legs, a central front leg, tie members connecting said rear and front legs, and a co-operating rearward brace member, interlocking means detachably securing said parts together, comprising in combination, bearing members secured to the under side of said top in spaced relation and having alined pin-receiving slots parallel with the top and pintle-receiving slots perpendicular thereto, a transverse pin fixed to the front leg and slidingly mounted in said slots for limited movement lengthwise of the top, said leg having a lateral slot in its rearward face, a pintle fixed to said rearward brace member and releasably received in the slots of said bearing members in alinement with the slot of the leg.

2. In a folding table having a top, rear legs, a central front leg having a lateral slot in its rearward face, tie members connecting said rear and front legs, a co-operating rearward brace member, interlocking means detachably securing said parts together, said means comprising bearing members secured to the under side of said top in spaced relation, guiding means operatively associated with said bearing members and said front leg and adapted to permit only limited movement of the end of said leg lengthwise of said top, pintle-receiving slots in said bearing members, a pintle fixed to said rearward brace member and releasably received in the said slots and in register with the said lateral slot in the leg, whereby the rearward brace member is releasably locked to the table top by means of the front leg when the end of said leg is in its rearward position.

3. A table including a top, rear legs and brace members for said legs, bearing members secured to said tap and having pintle-receiving slots in their edges, rearward brace members having a transverse pintle fixed thereto, said pintle being releasably secured in said slots, a front leg and means for securing the end of said leg to the bearing members while permitting movement of the end of the leg lengthwise of the table, means on the leg adapted to lockingly embrace the pintle when the leg is in rearward position and to release the pintle when the leg is in forward position.

4. A structure as set forth in claim 3 wherein the said means for lockingly embracing and releasing the pintle comprise a latch member slidably mounted on the leg to cover or uncover the slot.

CHARLES W. SADENWATER. 

